Description of the Related Art
In connection with enhancement of the recording density of tape cassettes has been developed a technique in which a part of a tape-shaped recording medium exposed from a cassette shell is covered by a cover member called as xe2x80x9clidxe2x80x9d when the tape cassette is not used, thereby preventing dusts from adhering to the exposed part of the tape-shaped recording medium or preventing oil or other foreign matters from adhering to the exposed part of the tape-shaped recording medium.
One type of these conventional tape cassettes is designed such that the front side of a tape-shaped recording medium disposed so as to traverse the front portion of a mouth portion which is provided at the front portion of a cassette shell and has an opening facing forwardly, upwardly and downwardly, is covered by a front lid, and the front lid is upwardly swung by substantially 90 degrees when the tape cassette is used, thereby exposing the tape-shaped recording medium to the outside.
In the conventional tape cassette described above, the front lid is merely upwardly swung by substantially 90 degrees when the lid is opened. Therefore, the upper side of the mouth portion is covered by the front lid when the lid is opened, and thus various limitations are imposed on parts disposed in the mouth portion when the tape cassette is in use. For example, the size and inclination of a head drum at least a part of which is located at the upper side of the mouth portion are restricted.
The applicant of this application has owned the following three U.S. patents pertaining to this application:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,237 titled xe2x80x9cLid ASSEMBLY FOR A TAPE CASSETTE WHICH PROTECTS FRONT AND REAR SURFACES OF A MAGNETIC TAPExe2x80x9d;
2. U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,525 titled xe2x80x9cTAPE CASSETTE HAVING A ROCKABLE FINGER FOR LATCHING A SLIDABLE SHUTTERxe2x80x9d; AND
3. U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,608 titled xe2x80x9cTAPE CASSETTE HAVING A CASE WITH A MOUTH FOR MAGNETIC HEAD DRUM OF A RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUSxe2x80x9d.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to make the upper side of a mouth portion perfectly open.
In order to attain the above object, according to a tape cassette of the present invention, a front lid is provided so as to be movable forward and backward, and the front lid is moved backward when the lid is opened to expose the front side of a tape-shaped recording medium, thereby opening the upper side of a mouth portion provided at the front portion of a cassette shell.
Therefore, according to the tape cassette of the present invention, the upper side of the mouth portion can be made open.
Further, a recording/reproducing apparatus of the present invention uses the above tape cassette, and it moves the front lid backward when the lid is opened, thereby making open the upper side of the mouth portion provided at the front portion of the cassette shell.
Therefore, the upper side of the mouth portion can be made open, according to a recording/reproducing apparatus of the present invention.